Chapter Eleven
965 Words
The Broken Crown
Aurora barely slept.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the symbol.
A crown.
Split down the middle.
And the look on the mysterious man's face in the photograph from her grandfather's archives.
By morning, she was exhausted.
Unfortunately, exhaustion didn't make problems disappear.
If anything, it made them worse.
The palace felt unusually quiet.
Aurora sat across from King Alexander in his private study.
The newspaper containing the story about the university incident lay between them.
The king's expression darkened as he looked at the photograph.
"The symbol appeared at Blackthorn?"
Aurora nodded.
"Right at the main entrance."
Silence filled the room.
That silence worried her more than any answer could.
Because her grandfather rarely ran out of words.
"You recognize it, don't you?"
King Alexander leaned back slowly.
For several moments, he said nothing.
Then he sighed.
"I was hoping you never would."
Aurora frowned.
"What does that mean?"
The king looked older than usual.
Tired.
As if he were carrying memories he would rather forget.
"The symbol belongs to an organization that should no longer exist."
A chill ran through Aurora.
"What organization?"
"The Crimson Crown."
The name meant nothing to her.
Yet the way her grandfather said it made her uneasy.
"Who are they?"
King Alexander stared toward the window.
"Years ago, before you were born, the Crimson Crown tried to destroy several influential families."
Aurora's stomach tightened.
"The Kingsleys?"
"The Kingsleys were among their targets."
The answer came quietly.
But it struck like thunder.
Aurora struggled to process what she was hearing.
"If they were defeated, why are they back now?"
The king's expression hardened.
"That is the question everyone wants answered."
Aurora looked down at the newspaper.
The attacks.
The threats.
The symbol.
Suddenly everything felt connected.
Before she could ask another question, someone knocked on the study door.
A palace aide entered.
His face was pale.
Worried.
Aurora immediately knew something was wrong.
"Your Majesty."
The aide handed over a document.
King Alexander read it.
His expression darkened.
Then darkened even further.
Aurora's pulse quickened.
"What happened?"
The king slowly lowered the paper.
"There has been another attack."
This time, the victim wasn't a businessman.
It wasn't a politician.
It wasn't even a member of the De Luca family.
It was a royal adviser.
Someone who had worked closely with the Kingsley family for over twenty years.
Aurora felt sick.
The attacks were getting closer.
Much closer.
That afternoon, she returned to campus.
For the first time, Blackthorn Royal University didn't feel safe.
Students continued moving between classes.
Friends laughed together.
Life seemed normal.
Yet Aurora couldn't stop looking over her shoulder.
Because now she knew the danger was real.
She found Lorenzo near the library.
He was speaking with Marco.
The moment he saw her, his expression changed.
Concern replaced whatever conversation they had been having.
"Aurora."
She tried to smile.
It didn't work.
Lorenzo immediately noticed.
"What happened?"
Aurora glanced at Marco.
The cousin took the hint instantly.
"I'll leave you two alone."
Within seconds, he disappeared.
Lorenzo waited patiently.
Aurora appreciated that.
Most people rushed her.
Demanded answers.
Lorenzo simply waited.
Finally, she spoke.
"The symbol."
His expression sharpened.
"What about it?"
"I know what it means."
For the first time, Lorenzo looked genuinely surprised.
The two of them moved to an empty study room.
Aurora told him everything she could without revealing her royal identity.
The Crimson Crown.
The attacks.
The connection to powerful families.
The fear growing inside the palace.
When she finished, silence filled the room.
"That's a lot to take in."
Aurora laughed softly.
"You think?"
"A little."
For a brief moment, the tension eased.
Only briefly.
Because the reality remained.
Someone was targeting influential families.
And they were becoming more aggressive.
Lorenzo leaned forward.
"There's something I haven't told you."
Aurora's stomach dropped.
That sentence never led anywhere good.
"What?"
"The De Luca security team found another name."
The seriousness in his voice immediately caught her attention.
"Whose name?"
Lorenzo hesitated.
Aurora hated hesitation.
Finally, he answered.
"Yours."
The room went completely silent.
Aurora stared at him.
Certain she had misheard.
"My name?"
Lorenzo nodded.
"It appeared in a document recovered from one of the attack sites."
Her pulse roared in her ears.
That wasn't possible.
Was it?
"Why would my name be there?"
"We don't know."
The answer did nothing to comfort her.
For the first time since this nightmare had begun, fear settled deep inside her chest.
Not fear for her family.
No fear for De Lucas.
Fear for herself.
Because if her name had appeared...
Then whoever was behind this wasn't simply aware of the Kingsleys.
They were aware of her.
A knock interrupted the conversation.
Both of them looked toward the door.
One of Lorenzo's security men entered.
His expression was grim.
Immediately, Aurora knew something was wrong.
Again.
The guard handed Lorenzo a phone.
"Sir, you need to see this."
Lorenzo looked down at the screen.
His face went cold.
Completely cold.
Aurora had never seen that expression before.
And she didn't like it.
Not one bit.
"What is it?"
Lorenzo looked up slowly.
His jaw tightened.
"It's a photograph."
Aurora frowned.
"A photograph of what?"
For several seconds, Lorenzo didn't answer.
Then he turned the screen toward her.
Aurora's breath caught.
The photograph showed her leaving campus earlier that morning.
Taken from a distance.
Without her knowledge.
Without her permission.
Someone had been watching her.
Beneath the image were six chilling words.
WE KNOW WHO SHE IS.
Aurora felt the blood drain from her face.
Across the room, Lorenzo's expression darkened.
And for the first time, both of them realized the same terrifying truth.
The enemy was no longer watching from the shadows.
The enemy had finally made their move.
- Writer
